Chain

This article is about the block. For the enchantment, see MCD:Chains. For the armor tier named chainmail, see Armor. For the armor material called chainmail, see Armor materials.

Chain

150px150px150px

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	6
Hardness	5
Luminant	No
Transparent	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

Chains are metallic decoration blocks.

Obtaining

Breaking

Chains can be mined using any pickaxe. If mined without a pickaxe, it drops nothing.

Block	Chain
Hardness	5
Tool
Breaking time
Default	25
Wooden	3.75
Stone	1.9
Iron	1.25
Diamond	0.95
Netherite	0.85
Golden	0.65

Natural generation

Chains generate in bastion remnants and sometimes in ruined portals that generate in the Nether. They always generate above magma cube spawners, also found in bastions.

Chains can also generate in mineshafts. They generate on the sides of a wooden bridge (a mid-air corridor) when the distance between the bridge and the highest solid block below it is higher than the distance to the lowest solid block above it. Chains here generate vertically in a pillar between the bridge and the ceiling. The lowest block of the pillar, connecting the chain to the bridge, is always an oak fence. ‌^{[upcoming: JE 1.17]}

Chest loot

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
Chain	Bastion remnant	Generic chest	2–10	24.4%
Bedrock Edition
Chain	Bastion remnant	Generic chest	2–10	31.5%

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Iron Nugget + Iron Ingot

Usage

Chains can be used to suspend bells or both types of lanterns (normal lanterns and soul lanterns), as the chain texture connects to the chain of the lantern seamlessly as if it were part of it. Chains do not require a supporting block to be placed whether it is on the top, next to it or at the bottom. It can exist completely free-standing in mid air and it can be rotated. Chains connect horizontally or vertically, but not across different orientations (so a chain with N orientation does not connect to a chain with E orientation in the adjacent block). Horizontal chains one block above a surface may be walked over. Horizontal chains two blocks above a surface prevent players from traveling past them. Vertical chains block travel if targeted directly, but may be skirted.

Precision is required, but chains can be walked on, allowing for inconspicuous, although somewhat costly, bridges.

Chains can be pushed by pistons without being broken.

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Namespaced ID	Form	Translation key
Chain	chain	Block & Item	block.minecraft.chain

Bedrock Edition:

Chain	Namespaced ID	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Block	chain	541	Block	tile.chain.name
Item	chain	758	Item	tile.chain.name

Metadata

See also: data values

In Bedrock Edition, chains use the following data values:

Block states

See also: Block states

History

Java Edition
1.16		20w16a			32px 32px Added chains.
					Chains currently use the generic metal block sounds.
		20w17a			Unique sounds have now been added for chains.
		20w18a			Chains can now be waterlogged.
1.16.2		Pre-release 1			32px32px Chains can now be placed in all orientations.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.17		21w07a			Chains can now generate in mineshafts.
		21w13a			32px32px32px The model of chains has been changed so that the backside texture is mirrored.
Bedrock Edition
1.16.0		beta 1.16.0.57			32px 32px Added chains.
					Chains currently cannot be crafted.
		beta 1.16.0.59			Chains can now be crafted.
		beta 1.16.0.63			Unique sounds have now been added for chains.
1.16.100		beta 1.16.100.54			32px32px Chains can now be placed in all orientations.

Issues

Issues relating to "Chain" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

• Chain is made out of two iron nuggets and one iron ingot, but its blast resistance is the same as the block of iron.
• A vertical chain, being a solid, but not a full block, allows for many sizes of mobs and players to pass alongside each piece horizontally.
• Despite its name, it cannot be crafted into chainmail armor.
• If a sticky piston pulls a chain that is more than 1 block long, the chain breaks.

Gallery

• Chain with Lantern.png

  A lantern hanging from a chain.

• Chain with Spawner.png

  A spawner hanging with a chain found in the bastion remnants.